228 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



ated membrane — the separate germs being tolerably 

 thick-walled, bilocular bodies about 4 oVo'^ ii^ length by 

 ■Y^\-^'' in breadth. An examination on subsequent days 

 showed many other of the amoeboid bodies breaking up 

 in a similar manner into these brownish, biloculated 

 Fungus-germs. 



But, strange to say, brown Fungus-germs of an almost 

 similar character had previously presented themselves 

 on the surface of the original infusion, although they 

 had arisen in quite a different manner, and apparently 

 by a process of Archebiosis. 



In the original infusion, when the Amcebse com- 

 menced encysting themselves (on the tenth day), por- 

 tions of the pellicle began to sink to the bottom of 

 the vessel. Three or four days later it was found that 

 the portions of the surface of the fluid which had thus 

 been left uncovered, were coated by a delicate, brownish 

 film, which, when examined microscopically, displayed 

 appearances similar to those represented in Fig. 48, d. 

 An almost invisible and thin gelatinous stratum existed 

 (a kind of formative membrane), in which every inter- 

 mediate stage could be detected, between the most 

 minute particle and a brownish, thick-walled, bilocu- 

 lated fungus-germ. The smaller bodies were colourless, 

 solid-looking, and highly refractive j and they seemed 

 much more like mere dead concretions^ than living 



^ Such as are represented in Fig. 43 ; or such as appear in some 

 amnionic tartrate solutions, and which are so closely allied to Sarcina. 

 (See Ajpendix A, p. iv. Fig. a.) 



